This invention relates to a multi-direction ratchet wrench useable with a power drill and a set of drive sockets to tighten and/or loosen nuts and bolts.
Under conventional practice nuts and bolts are loosened or tightened with a hand-operated ratchet wrench and a series of drive sockets. The wrench commonly includes a housing having an internal gear engaged with a ratchet mechanism so that the gear is free to turn in one direction, but not in the other direction. A manual lever is associated with the ratchet mechanism to change the direction in which the gear can freely turn.
An elongated manual handle extends from the wrench housing for imparting a turning motion to the housing and associated gear. A square cross-sectioned stub shaft extends axially from the gear out of the wrench housing for insertion into an appropriate drive socket.
The bolt or nut can be manually loosened or tightened by a back-and-forth turning movement of the wrench handle. During forward motion of the handle the housing and gear are rigidly connected together to apply a turning force to the nut or bolt. During reverse motion of the handle the ratchet mechanism and housing turn freely on the gear to reset the handle for another forward motion.
When the bolt or nut has a relatively long threaded area it may be necessary to move the handle several times in order to fully tighten or loosen the bolt or nut. For example, if we assume a handle motion of forty five degrees and a thread length of sixteen threads, then we would need two hundred fifty six handle motions to fully tighten or loosen the bolt (one hundred twenty eight forward strokes and one hundred twenty eight reset strokes.)
The present invention relates to a modification of the conventional ratchet wrench so that it can be used with a conventional power drill, to lessen the time required to tighten or loosen a nut or bolt. The ratchet wrench will be operated manually to apply a final tightening torque or to apply an initial unloosening torque The power drill will be used to spin the nut or bolt onto or off the associated threaded member. The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that can reduce the time required to fully install or remove a nut or bolt. The invention mechanism will find its principal use in situations where the thread system has a relatively long engaged thread length.